Having read mostly positive reviews of this ship on Cruise Critic, and having been impressed with RCL when we last cruised with them (some 10 years ago) we had high expectations of this cruise. Although we enjoyed our cruise, I'd have to say it ultimately disappointed in several key areas.

We liked the ship itself- the layout and the facilities were probably the best of the recent cruises that we have taken. We lucked out in our cabin assignment as we booked late and the only balcony cabin available was one designed for a disabled person (IE significantly larger than normal). Interestingly this cabin was only available to us by booking through the cruise line's website, suggesting that perhaps it makes sense to look at this option when you are booking. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the tendency of the cruise director's staff to use the Atrium area for "events" like dance competitions etc. Its a fairly small area for that purpose with a stone floor ill suited for dancing. I guess their theory is that it looks better if you pack a small space when you have an event like that, but I didn't care for it-there wasn't room on the dance floor for us when we wanted to participate.

The biggest disappointment was the food, and perhaps this is just a general trend amongst all the major cruise lines. Generally speaking the food selection was uninspiring. No worries about overeating on this cruise-there wasn't that much that was appealing. Breakfasts in the self service dining room were particularly disappointing-they never varied from one day to the next, except to rotate ham and turkey (turkey for breakfast?) at the carvery. No Eggs Benny, McMuffin Sandwiches-just the standard stuff. As for the dining room, this was typically uneven. Lobster night was a hit (but why have lobster night the same night as prime rib night?) but most other entrees we had were mediocre. I had a New York Steak one night that Denny's would have been ashamed to serve. Read more